Comprehensive Guide to Wall Trim

Chair Rail

Chair rail works best in dining rooms or any room with chairs to protect the wall or to cap off wainscotting.

A chair rail is a horizontal piece of trim that is typically installed 3 to 4 feet above the floor. These rails originally served the purpose of protecting walls from chairs, often in dining rooms. Today, chair rail is most often used as a decorative molding, and it typically costs about $1-2 per linear foot.

Functional as well as attractive, chair rail is often combined with a lower section of wainscoting to give the wall added protection. Together, these elements are an excellent place to contrast molding with wall paint for a classic look.

Hardwood and polyurethane options provide the most durability—but regardless of material, homeowners should note that chair rails tend to collect dust. Since this trim is at eye level, it may require more regular cleanings than baseboards or crown molding.

Crown Molding

Crown molding creates a classic, showy appearance in living rooms, dining rooms, and other public rooms, plus it can be used to hide kitchen cabinet soffits.

Crown molding is found at the intersection of walls and ceilings, typically installed at a 45-degree angle with hollow space behind it. Often associated with upscale or historic homes, crown molding is the perfect trim to bring a classic feel to your main living areas. Unlike other types of wall trim that tend to be constructed from wood, modern crown molding is often made of lightweight materials like vinyl or PVC.

When installed properly, crown molding is a durable trim that should be moisture-resistant and last for decades. Do-it-yourself homeowners can save time on perfecting the drywall mudding along their ceiling by covering it with crown molding, but it can be difficult to cut tight, gap-free angles for installation.

Hiring a finish carpenter may be beneficial to achieve attractive results without imperfections. Crown molding costs about $2-3 per foot to purchase, which can increase to $8-10 per foot when hiring a carpenter.

Baseboards

Baseboard trim is a necessity in all rooms of the house to finish off the wall where it meets the flooring.

Baseboards are the most common type of trim found in houses, dressing up a room and serving as the defining line at the bottom of the walls. They also hide gaps between the bottoms of the walls and the flooring.

Baseboards range from short, narrow styles to 6-inch or higher baseboards found in many older houses. Installing baseboards typically costs about $0.60 per foot for MDF options and $1.20 for natural wood or PVC.

Shoe Molding or Quarter Round

Shoe molding or quarter-round trim works in concert with baseboards to further close the gap between the walls and the floors.

When tightly installed against a floor, baseboards keep drafts out of the house. However, they may eventually develop gaps near the floor. That's where quarter round or shoe molding comes into play.

Adding quarter-round or shoe molding to the bottom of the baseboard can cure this problem. This molding is thin and flexible, so it matches every curve of the floor.

The use of quarter-round or shoe molding is a bit controversial among professionals. Some feel that it's fine to use since it's inexpensive and expedient. Others feel that quarter-round is unattractive, and they prefer to cut the bottoms of the baseboards to match the curves of the floor.

Picture Frame Wall Molding

Picture frame wall molding is ideal in a formal public room such as a dining or living room to dress up the room and break up the monotony of flat paneling.

Wall picture frame molding is purely decorative and often installed with four pieces of molding to create the look of a picture frame.

Picture frame molding is less common than other types of trim, but it's an attractive and unique style that can be found in many historic homes and formal designs.

The molding can be painted a different color than the wall for a pop of contrast or in the same color to add texture and depth to the space. This is a unique look that few homes have—plus, it is very easy to build. Adding picture frame wall molding is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make a room look more elegant.

Picture Rail

Picture railing works best in living and dining rooms, bedrooms, and hallways as a convenient, safe way to hang pictures and mirrors.

Picture rail is similar to chair rail, as it is placed horizontally around the perimeter of the room. However, it is installed much higher on the wall and has a different profile than chair rail.

Less common than other types of trim, picture rail traditionally served the function of holding the hooks for hanging pictures with wire. Wood and plaster options are most commonly found, and wood is both lighter and less likely to crack over time. Depending on the material used, picture rails typically cost between $1 and $2 per foot.

Functionally, picture rail will allow you to move pictures in and out of rooms with ease. Aesthetically, it can help break up the monotony of rooms with very tall ceilings. Due to its higher position, it can interfere with windows, so homeowners should take care to measure the space above each window before installation.